Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The Minister has spoken very eloquently recently about how vulnerable our tax base is, especially in respect of some of the windfall gains we have obtained from a very small number of very successful companies that, thankfully, have decided to locate in this country and provide very good employment. On the one hand, Government members speak very eloquently and urgently about that issue but they seem to be in no hurry whatsoever to address some of the fundamentals of this problem. Irish people have legitimate expectations regarding the resourcing of our public services, which are really stretched. We know the challenges, for example, in terms of the Social Insurance Fund, which is the responsibility of the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Humphreys. What I am hearing is the sound of some very large cans being kicked down the road. This is very urgent indeed and much more urgent than many Members of this House understand and appreciate. I accept that we need to tread carefully in regard to some elements of the report of the Commission on Tax and Welfare but this needs proper interrogation. We need a full debate in the House on the report and I hope we can have it after the budget.

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